For citizens who care to track their governments, a "politician's quote" file is useful since one can compare past statements against present utterances. Of course, the rhetoric from politicians must also be checked against their actions, and in some cases, it is also safe to assume a particular politician will act opposite of their stated promise.

For example, given the federal Liberals' tendency to flip-flop more than a just-caught salmon, if the Prime Minister ever promises not to raise the GST, Canadians should immediately spend their hard-earned cash before the federal sales tax is raised to 15%. Here in BC, when Premier Glen Clark shuffles his cabinet, talks about a "new direction," and makes cooing noises about how new Finance Minister Gordon Wilson proves the government is "open to new ideas and a new perspective," taxpayers should grab their wallets and head for the hills.

For proof, British Columbians need only observe the political double-speak surrounding the latest cabinet shuffle. For starters, Mr. Clark's attempt to cast himself and his new Finance Minister as more taxpayer-friendly was immediately undercut by Mr. Wilson's "absolute" endorsement of Joy MacPhail's last deficit budget. Whether one thinks the deficit is $890 million (the government line), $1.5 billion (accountant estimates) or $2.7 billion (tack on the overall increase in public debt), Mr. Wilson's endorsement of borrowing from tomorrow's taxpayers to finance today's boondoggles mocks any claim to a "new direction."

"I think British Columbians have to recognize what it is we're spending money on," said Mr. Wilson, seconds after he was named responsible for BC's $21 billion budget. The new Finance Minister should spare taxpayers the condescending lecture. If Mr. Wilson were even slightly aware of the province's finances, he wouldn't dare utter such pap.

According to the 1992 BC budget, introduced by Glen Clark incidentally, the province's total debt was $17.2 billion in 1991. That will hit $34.7 billion by March of 2000 according to the latest NDP budget. Taxpayers' money, over $2.6 billion worth of it this year, will go to interest on BC's total debt, either directly through taxes or indirectly through higher crown corporation fees (i.e., BC Hydro bills.)

Another example of how language should tip off taxpayers to a looming fiscal shipwreck is the actual portfolio names themselves. Take Jan Pullinger's new playtoy, the department of Community Development, Cooperatives, and Volunteers, or Moe Sihota's ministry, Social Development and Economic Security.

It is a slight oxymoron for a government to "direct" volunteers or social development. In addition, given this government's rotten money-management skills, the prospect of adding citizens' economic security to the list of cabinet responsibilities is akin to scaring children in a graveyard on Halloween.

Lastly, here is a revealing quote: The Premier, speaking of his government recently, said "what we've been trying to do is get back to our values and what we believe in and campaigned on."

Now, since Mr. Clark campaigned on a balanced budget later revealed to be fudged, citizens might rightly discount what is said during a campaign and instead draw this conclusion: Regardless of the words, their actions reveal that Mr. Clark and his cabinet will govern with their ideological billy club. That is what they value and believe in. Even their new colleague, Mr. Wilson, understands that.